The purpose of this training program is to provide research training in dental materials science to eight trainees desiring to develop lifetime careers in dental materials research. The Division of Biological Materials will offer both didactic and research experiences, allowing qualified pre- doctoral and post-doctoral trainees to pursue both M.S., and Ph.D. degrees or to receive non-degree post-doctoral research training. Although trainee appointments. will given priority to dentists, traditional engineering predoctoral and post-doctoral trainees will be included. The NIDR training program, which has existed in the Division for nineteen years in its present form, will stress the application of modern concepts of materials. In addition, principles of biocompatibility, materials/tissue/ cellular interfaces, and toxicology of the dental and medical materials armamentarium will also be an integral part of the program. Didactic work will be offered to the trainees in an already established set of ongoing, regularly scheduled courses and seminar, approved and accredited for advanced degrees by the Northwestern University Graduate School, and taught by the three Ph.D. professors and two clinical adjunct faculty of the Division of Biological materials. The trainees will take their coursework and perform their research along with other students ina the Division who have other means of support. This permits meaningful interactions between the dentally qualified trainees and the engineering and biological science majors. Also the trainees benefit from the interaction with the already present students through Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL). Additional didactic work will be offered to all students in the Division by other departments within the University including Materials Science Chemistry, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Oral Pathology, and Oral Biology. Research is carried out primarily in the Division Laboratories containing modern state of the art equipment for ultrastructure, corrosion, mechanical properties, cell culturing, rheology, spectral analysis, and specimen fabrication. Other equipment is available through cooperative agreements with the Materials Research Center and the Rehabilitation Engineering Center of the University.